De La Salle School, St Helens is an 11-16 mixed comprehensive Roman Catholic high school which is linked to the world wide La Sallian community. The school in its current form was created in 1987 after the amalgamation of several Roman Catholichigh schools in the area. Its trustees are the De La Salle Brothers, who have a house nearby. There are 1200 pupils, and about 140 staff. Seven associated primaries provide the majority of pupils who join, aged 11: Corpus Christi, St. Austin's, St. Bartholomew's, St. John Vianney, St. Julie's, St. Teresa's and St. Thomas of Canterbury.
History
Grammar schools
Two of the former schools were called West Park Grammar School and Notre Dame High School, which were both direct grant grammar schools. The De La Salle Brothers in St Helens. Nothing could be more modest, less pretentious, less eye-catching that that laconic first statement in the Brothers'History of the House:"September 18, 1911. The School was opened today by our Brothers. The Brothers are Brother Nilus, Brother Alphonse and Brother Francis. We commenced with 37 pupils."The words are in the handwriting of Brother Nilus, the first Brother Headmaster. They quietly proclaim the presence of the De La Salle Brothers in 'the infant venture'. Twelve years earlier in 1899 Father Hearne, the energetic and farseeing parish priest of Sacred Heart had bought a house in St Georges Road and their set up a Catholic school for boys to complement the school for girls opened by the Sisters of Notre Dame. It was recognised as a Secondary School and was receiving small grants from the St Helens Education Committee. The Education Committee's subsequently withdrawal of grants on the grounds of inadequate accommodation and insufficient teaching facilities. The agreement by which the Brothers took over Father Hearne's School in 1911 provided for his house becoming the Brothers residence with adjoining stables becoming two classrooms. In 1911 Brother Nilus opened with 37 pupils. In 1912 the numbers on the role was 100.
Campus
The school completed a large building programme in June 2013. Nearly half of the building stock was rebuilt, while almost all of the remainder was substantially remodelled. The new buildings capture some simple principles which the school developed with contractors and St. Helens Council: each academic area is clearly defined, with its own staff base and bespoke I.C.T. provision; while there are some open learning areas, the majority of classrooms are light and airy, as well as being very well sound-proofed; there are many double learning spaces, separated by sound-proofed partitions; each of the school's year groups has its own Base, with social seating for the pupils and I.C.T. areas. There are six enclosed and secure external areas, including the spacious Founder's Quad, and Our Lady's Quad, in addition to defined learning areas for Art, Performing Arts, science and Enrichment.
